Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-21
THANKS TO A BURGLAR.

Slstlble. Her eyes were small, her nose
was an undenia5le pug, and the thick
masses OF her curly hair were always tum-
bling down untidily beyond the power of
combs and hairpins to restrain Even
the warm color that came and went in
her checks and the dimple in her chin
were hardly enough to redeem her from
being hopelessly plain; and yet every man
who approached her became her abject
slave in four and twenty hours, and in
twice that time had offered her his heart
and hand. But then he could not tell
wherein her fascination lay. He only
knew that she was, beyond all COMPARE
son, the most bewitching, bewildering,
lovable little damsel in the world.
Last spring, when she married Mr..
Thomas Fotterall, after brief engage
ment, there was nine days wonder
That gentleman, the most desirable
parti of the season, of irreproachable So
clal position, and with mine of wealth
In government bonds, had never been OBJ
served to pay her the slightest attention.
How, when and where their courtship was
carried on was problem over which So
ciety puzzled its small brains in vain, for
no one could recollect a single occasion
when Mr.. Fotterall could possibly have
mad chance to put the mlOmentouS Ques-
ton to his lovely bride Indeed. that
lady herself, on being rallied at the we'd
ding breakfast, laughingly declared that
Tommy had never proposed to her at all,
statement to which her lord and master
assented with a demure enjoyment of
everybody's surprise at such singular
revelation.
Only Sally Gorham knew the whole
mystery, and she, strange to say, was
wise and discreet enough to hold her
tongue and laugh with the dramatis per-
soma at the general mystification Of the
world. But now that Sally and 1 have
made it up, and decided to follow the good
example set us by Madge and Tommy,
there are no secrets between us. While we
were wandering along the cliffs at New
port week before last, she told me the
story, which proved so interesting that
am about to divulge it to the public,
providing the public will listen, learn, and
forever afterward hold its peace.
1t was at the end of April. The Cor
hams had gone out to their country seat
at Penn Rhyn much earlier in the season
than usual, and as it was intolerably dull
with nothing in the world to do, they had
asked dozen people out to spend a week
in all sorts of unconventional frolicS
Sally had three or four charming buds for
her guests, among them Madge Palliser;
her brother Jack had brought several
willing victims from the club and the old
Van CooverS came to amuSe papa and
mamma GOrham and keep them out of
mischief with an innocent rubber of whist |
In the chimney corner o. nights.
There were great goings on, as Uncle |
Moses, the gardener, said, with discour-
aged shake of his woolly head. Tennis |
playing in the morning, riding parties in |
the afternoon, and in the evening Virginia |
reels and "All the way to Boston" in the |
long drawing room, with laughing, sing
ing and not q little flirting from dawn to
darkness.
Madge was the blithest of the blithe
All the men adored her openly, save and
except Thomas FotteraH, Esq, who never
worshiped publicly at her shrine, though |
he often watched her furtively from afar |
off with something more than an ordinary
interest in his half shut eyes. Her merry,
arch, sweet hearted ways made their I'M
failing impression upon his soul, and it
was hardly TO be imagined that Miss Pal
nser was ignorant Of the havoc her charms
were working in that manly breast. Out
wardIy, however, there was not the slight
est symptom of an affair. Madge rode,
but one, and that one devoted himself |
with an assumed interest to sharp tongued
Sally, who privately considered him
greater bore than the Hoosac tunnel
One night, when the week of gGyety at
Penn Rhyn was nearly over, the whole
party was sitting about great roaring
fire in the hall, for the spring evenings
were apt to be cool, testing and making
merry after their custom. Old Mr.. Van
COover, who had been porting over that
mildly exciting Journal, The Penn Rhyn
Gazette, suddenly astonished the assembly
by q singular snort, which might have ex-
pressed almost any emotion from delight
to horror, and. casting away his news
paper, cried il tones of dismay:
'Burglarsi there are burglars about in
the village! They have already visited
the Standishes and the Corkendills, and
got away with quantity of plumber, and
it'll be our turn next, Gorham, mark my
wordsl l say, Mrs. Van Coover, you
haven't brought the family emeralds
alang, have you?'
The amiable Mrs. Van Coover shivered
percepdbly, but soon recovered herself
and replied tartl.:
"James, you're fool! Don't you know
that l loath and detsst those emeralds and
never wear them except when you compel
me by brute force? Emeralds, indeed! /
wish the burglars would carry Off the
hateful old things, and then perhaps you
would get me something l shouldn't be
to be seen imp This was sacrilege.
Mr.. Van Coover Immediately forgot the
exciting subject of the robbing in refec-
tions upon his spouse's want of reverence
for the family emeralds, which had
adorned the persons of every feminine
Van Coover since the year one. But the
young people We're not SO easily diverted,
and their conversation turned upon burg
lars and burglary, until, when the clock
struck eleven and bedtime approached,
the girls in particular were in anything
but an agreeable state of mind.
Mr.. Fotterall had been sitting beside
Madge in the group around the fire, but
only Sally's quick eyes had detected the
ylances they had not infrequently ex-
changed. In the hustle attendant upon
separation for the night nobody noticed
how long the gallant Tommy was in hand
ng his charming neighbor her bedroom
candle stick. nor how the rich crimson
iushed not only her cheek, but her throat
md brows, as her fingers lay not unwill-
ngly in his strong grasp.
Sally flew into the room they occupied
ogether and was already nestled among
he pillows when Madge sauntered slowly
n, her eyes dancing and new expression
IN her face that caused Sally 10 look
again with surprise, and wonder if she
we're really growing pretty after all.
''Come to bed" ordered Miss Gorham,
deeply.
Pm coming" responded Madge in an
Ibsent way.